ANI DOC SH “Respina´s Drawings” – Mehdi Kazemi, Iran, United States, 2025, 20’

Synopsis: This short animated film tells the true story of Ali Delpasand, a man who lost his left eye after being struck by pellet shots from Iran’s security forces during the Woman, Life, Freedom uprising. While trapped in traffic with his wife and young daughter, Respina, a storm of bullets shattered their lives forever. Yet this film is not only about the loss of an eye; it is the story of forced migration and exile, of sorrow carried from city to city and across unseen borders. The narrative unfolds through Respina’s drawings, where the fragile imagination of a child transforms brutal violence into images that are both poetic and haunting. This work reflects on suffering and resilience, portraying a wound that breaks the body yet compels the spirit to journey, to endure, and to seek meaning beyond pain.

• Director: Mehdi Kazemi